^g 4 '34
MOORE COUNTY’S
LEADING
NEWS-WEEKLY
rriTTT?
j. jnjC/
A Paper Devoted to the Upbuilding
VOL. 15, NO. 3fi.
CARTHAOi^
^PRINI
LAKE VIEW
mahlky
PlH£S
A^Ml.Sy
U. N. c
CAROyNA ROOM
PILOT
FIRST IN NEWS,
CIRCULATION &
ADVERTISING
of the Sandhill Terri/^y of North Carolina
Southern Pines and Aberdeen, North ( arolina, Friday, August 3, 1931.
JOHNR.McQIIEEN
HEADS FARM DEBT
ADJUSTMENT BODY
Moore County Committee Holds
Organization Session and
Elects Officers
EXPLAINS ITS PROGRAM
Organization of Moore county’s
Farm Debt Adjustment Committee
was perfected on Wednesday of this
week when the committee recently
appointed by Governor Ehringhaus
was called together at Pinehurst by
J. W. Sears of Goldsboro, field repre
sentative for the State Commission.
The meeting was held in the Bank of
Pinehurst.
The following officers w'ero clected:
John R McQueen, Lakeview, chair
man; George H. Maurice, F]agie
Springs, vice chairman; J. \V. Von
Canon, secretary; L. B. McKeithen,
Cameron, assistant secretary.
U. L. Spence of Carthage, Demo
cratic nominee for the State Senate
and a member of the committee made
many timely suggestions at the meet
ing and pledged his full cooperation to
the committee. E, H. Garrison, Jr.,
county agricultural agent, offered his
services and said that many farmers
had already been to him asking infor
mation as to how to obtain loans to
refinance old and pressing debts.
The committee, wishing to avoid
any misunderstanding with regard to
its duties, made the follow'ing state
ment of its work to The Pilot.
"Any debtor or creditor seeking a
readjustment In the debt relation,
one with the other, may ask the com
mittee to investigate and make rec
ommendation to either or both parties
for the purpose of affecting a satis
factory solution of any existing diffi
culties.
"We hope that the farmers of Moore
county who need help in their efforts
to refinance themselves will call on
the members of the committee near,
est to them. Also, your county agent
will be glad to assist you in getting
in touch with the Farm Debt Adjust
ment Committee.”
Debt Adjuster
JOHN K. MoQl’EEN
EUREKA CITIZENS
PETITION STATE
FOR NEW HIGHWAY
1,000 ACRE TRACT Wicker Calls on County to
FIVE CENTS
DEEP RIVER LAND
BOUGHT BY STATE
New Screen Installed
in Carolina Theatre
Picquet Also Adds Boxes in Pro
gram of Improvements To
House Here
Patrons at Monday night’s perfor
mance of "The Notorious Sophie
Lang” at the Carolina Theatre in
Southern Pines were surprised to find
the picture appearing upon a brand-
new and enlarged screen, installed
over the week-end by Manager Char
les \V. Picquet.
The screen is the new “wide range
screen,” in movie parlance, and in
addition to being 17 feet by 14 feet
as against the old ones 12 by 13, it
has been set back 13 feet from the
position of the former screen on the
stage. This has made for remarkable
improvement in the front rows,
which no longer are too near the pic
ture for eye comfort. The vision and
sound effects from the first row are
now entirely satisfactory.
Mr. Picquet, since his recent pur
chase of the Carolina Theatre build
ing w’hich he formerly leased, has
been making a number of improve
ments. There are now four new boxes
in the rear, with four comfortable
chairs in each box, making a total of
36 box seats now available in the
i Please turn to page 5)
Want Highway Commission to
Open I’p Old Pee Dee Road
to Southern Pines
Residents of the Eureka section of
Moore county are starting a com-
paign for the opening up and improv
ing of the old Pec Dee road to give
them a short cut into Southern Pines.
A letter signed by J. Mack Williams,
prominent resident of that neighbor
hood, was sent last week to the State
Highway Commission at Raleigh urg
ing the improving of the road. Mr.
Williams wrote:
*‘I am writing you in the matter
of a road. We who live in this sec
tion of Moore county (Eureka sec
tion) are cut off from the valuable
market of Southern Pfnes. At pres
ent we have to drive a circuitous
route all of five miles to get there.
If the historic old Pee Dee Road
was opened up and maintained by the
State Highway Commission several
dozen families would be brought
nearer both school and church and a
valuable market w^ould be opened for
farm products. In a year a great sav
ing would result in time and expendi
ture for gasoline.
“Please advise what would be the
proper way to get this matter before
your body of men. Would a petition
signed by the merchants of Southern
Pines and the citizens of this com
munity carry any weight with you?”
Elkins and Thompson Property
in Horseshoe Section lo Be
Farmed by Convicts
MININ»G OF COAL PLANNED
One of the outstanding business
transactions both as to size and inter
est that has taken place in Moore
county in recent months is the pur
chase by the State Highway Commis
sion of around one thousand acres of
land on Deep River neai- the village
of Carbonton.
Included in the deal are two tracts,
cne of which is known as the John
Elkins place. After the death of Mr.
Elkins, it was passed into the hands
of the late John M, Mclver of Gulf
and was owned by his heirs. The other
was owned by Heibert Thompson,
formerly of that section and now of
Hichmond, Va.
Tlie Elkin tract of more than 600
acres is a part of the 1000 acres leas-
jed for the {>ast several yeai’s by Julian
I T. Bi.shop of New York as a hunting
I preserve. The land joins that of John
i Willcox, clerk of court and owner of
•'The House in the Horseshoe.”
There are about 200 acres of clear
ed land in the tract, and this is being
cultivated this year. Truck, and hay
and grain crops have been planted,
the produce to be used in the convict
camps and State institutions. Six or
eight A-grade prisoners from the con
vict camp in Moore county with Char
lie Dunlap, guard, as their foreman
are stationed at the old Elkin home,
and almost daily a truck-load of
other prisoners goes out to help with
the full program of work that has
been mapped out. Land will be cleared
from time to time and it Is thought
that almost the entire tract will even
tually be made ready for cultivation.
Beneath the land purchased is
said to be much coal. A mine was op
ened some time i.go and worked to
some extent by John M. Mclver, Jr.,
of Gulf, and a good grade of coal
v.’as found. It is said that the High
way Commission plans to mine this
coal for use in the various State insti
tutions. This work will not be started
right away, probably not before next
year, but the mining program is be
ing given definite consideration as
it is thought that a saving to the
State might be effected in this way.
Explain Incomplete Ballot
For School Debt Election
No .Mention of Sfili.OOO Loan or
of Debt p]qualizatioii in Issue
Presented Electorate
“Hiffh Man”
REGISTRATION ENDS IITH
Negro Fires at Man in Cornfield;
Son Finds Dead Body Next Day
Milton Kins of Pinehurst Held
for Superior Court For Sh«M)t-
in>j of James McDonald
WORK ON NEW WATEK MAINS
ST.ARTED IN WEYMOUTH HOTS.
The Boyd Goforth Co. of Charlotte,
awarded the contract for the con
struction of water mains, started
work on Wednesday morning with a
force of men and a 60 H. P. ditcher
under the supervision of Foreman Mc-
Comb. The first installation com
mences on Connecticut avenue just
above Ridge street and will run out
the avenue to HiSfhland Road and
then several hundred feet up that
road. Some 30 local unemployed are
being used.
Work has also been started on the
foundation for the new water tank
on the Boyd property in Weymouth
Heights.
Milton King, colored resident of the
Pinehurst section, was bound to Su
perior Court under bond of $2,500 by
Coroner D. Carl Fry following an in
vestigation into the fatal shooting
of James McDonald, alias Son McDon
ald, colored, which occurred on Fri
day evening.
According to the information gained
by the coroner at the inquest. King,
who is a respected Negro residing
near the race tracks, had been missing
roasting ears from his corn patch.
He decided to station himself at the
field on Friday evening between sev
en and eight o'clock, armed with a
single barrel shot gun loaded with
number 4 shot. Soon he saw a corn
stalk shake, then what he took to be
hands reaching up to break the corn.
He fired once, intending to shoot
the hands, it was said. King heard
someone cry out and run. He returned
to his home and is said to have told
his people that he had shot someone.
The following day he sent his boy
to the field to get some corn. The
boy went to a patch of woods some
60 or 75 yards from the field and
there he found the dead body of Mc
Donald. The boy notified his father,
who in turn reported the matter to
Officer Currie at Pinehurst.
An inquest was held and from the
evidence the coroner’s jury decided
to hold him for, grand jury investiga
tion in August. He gave bond.
The case was brought up in Re
corder’s Court on Monday.
School Bond Payments
According to
the records in the
office of the Moore county Auditor,
the last and final payments on the
bonds and loans of
the various
school districts of the county will
be made as follows:
Maturity
Number
District
Date
Payments
So. Pines
1949
15 Yrs.
Pinehurst
1948
14 Yrs.
Carthage
1952
18 Yrs.
Cameron
1954
20 Yrs.
Vass-Lakeview
1954
20 Yrs.
Aberdeen
1951
17 Yrs.
Mineral Spgs.
1944
10 Yrs.
Eagle Spgs.
1942
8 Yr.s.
Eureka
1942
8 Yrs.
West End
1946
12 Yrs.
Hemp ..
1948
14 Yrs.
County Wide
1947*
13 Yrs.
Proposed Bond
Issue .
.1959
25 Yrs.
START WORK ON NEW P. O.
IN PINEHURST NEXT MONTH
Advices from Washington indicate
that the plans for the new Pinehurst
postoffice will be approved within the
next two or three weeks and that
construction will start early in Sep
tember. The building, Georgia in style
and in keeping with other Pinehurst
business buildings, will be located on
the site of the late home of John G.
Hemmer, adjoining the Pinehurst De
partment Store and opposite the Car
olina Theatre. The Hemmer residence
is being demolished to make room
for the new structure.
This Satui'day and a week from this
Saturday are the final official days
for registration for the election on
August 25th to determine the ques
tion. Shall Moore County borrow
.$166,000 from the federal govern
ment for erection of new school build
ings. Only those registering may
vote.
Pei’.sims eligible to vole may. how
ever, h&.nd in their names to the
regi.strars at any time during the
week. The following are the regis-
trar.s in the Sandhills section:
<ir('cn\v()0(i precinct—J. W. CamiT-
on.
\ass pr(>»'inct—W. I). Smith.
Kiin Ua pri“«'in« t—W. .McC’. Blue.
Soiifhcrn I’ines—,1. M. \Mndiium.
Ahcr<l(‘( n—(’harles Bridges.
i'iiiehliiff—,1. \y. IMcUler.
riiii'hurst—H. F. Kelly.
\\est End—.\rch Johnsoii.
All are urged to vote that theie
may be a fair expression of opinion
as to the advisability of the county
increasing its debt, and therefore its
tax rate, for this school program.
In an open letter to the Board of
Education and the Board of Commis
sioners of Moore County this week
Rassie E. Wicker of Pinehurst brings
out the point that although it is the
purpose of the county to borrow
$232,000 and to equalize the school
debts of the various school districts
over the whole county, only the ques
tion of whether or not to borrow
$166,000 from the federal govern
ment is contained In the ballot to be
voted on August 25th. The proposed
additional loan of $66,000 from the
State Literary Fund is not mentioned
in the ballot, according to the offi
cial advertisement of the election
called by the County Commission. Mr.
Wicker says:
MR. W ICKER’S LETTF:R
Gentlemen:
In the Notice of Special Election as
carried in our County paper, the peo
ple are asked to vote for or against
the issuance of $166,000.00 in bonds.
This is the only official information
given out by either of your Boards.
In the absence of submission to the
electorate of other issues, it is pre
sumed that a favorable vote w'ill re
sult simply in the issuance of bonds
to the extent of $166,000.00.
However, in all ncwsf xper corres
pondence. and in the discussion by
Mr. Thomas and the Board of County
Commissioners at their last meeting,
two other pi’oposals -an additional
loan of $66,000.00 from the State
Literary Fund and the consolidation
of all special tax district indebtedness
—were and are freely discussed.
These three proposals are so close
ly related and interdependent, one
upon the other, that it is perhaps not
intended that they be treated sep
arately, and that some error is re
sponsible for their omission from the
election notice.
Therefore, in fairness to the elec
torate, the Board of County Commis
sioners and the County Board of Ed
ucation should, and I hereby request
that they do, jointly and officially
issue and publicize a statement
wherein the following questions are
definitely and plainly answered, and
wherein also is set forth briefly any
such other information as will en
able the citizens of the County to
vote upon the question in an intelli
gent manner, and that they i.ssue
such statement immediately.
1. Does the County Board of Edu-
{Please turn to page 5)
MAN ARRESTED HERE H.\S
LONG CRIMIN.AI- REC ORD
i’ Fi:\\K ni C HAN
Wonl comes from Washington that
P. Frank Buchan, acting postmaster
of Siiuthoin I’ines, was "high man” in
the recent examination for appoint
ment to the t egular post mastership
iheie. The appointment will undoubted-
j ly be made by Presiilent Roosevelt
some time between now and January
j 1st and be confirmed by the United
j States Senate at the session starting
in January.
Kenneth Lane, arrested here last
week by Officer Newton has a long
record of burglary and larceny, ac
cording to the Division of Investiga
tion. U. S. Department of Justice.
Included in his record are imprison
ment in the State prison camp of
Oregon, wanted in Pa.sadena and Los
Angeles, Cal.; term of 1 to 15 years
in Folsom prison'.
WEST END WINS
EXCITING GAME
IN lOTH INNING
Southern Pines Tosses Game
Away with Three Errors in
Extra Frame
Sandhills League Standing Though
(iiameH of Wt“dne»da.v, August I
Club Won Lost Pet.
West End 10 3 .769
Aberdeen 8 4 .667
Vass 4 8 .333
Southern Pines 3 10 ,231
Schedule of Ciames for C'oniing Week
Friday, August 3: Aberdeen at
Vass; Saturday, August 4; Southern
Pines at West End; Wedne.sday, Au
gust 8: Southern Pines at Aberdeen.
Coming from behind to tie the
score in the ninth. West End went
on in the tenth to win a fast and ex
citing game from Southern Pines on
Wednesday afternoon. The final score
was 6 to 4.
Southern Pines went into the ninth
sporting a 4-3 lead, but a single by
Cole and a double by Mauney enabled
the visitors to tie it up. Then three
straight infield errors in the tenth
gave West End two runs and the
ball game.
Errors played a prominent part in
the scoring as each team made only
two earned runs. Millar allowed West
End a total of six hits, while the lo
cals touched Charlie Ritter and Coy
Thomas for seven.
Wilson and Patterson led the hit
ting with two safe blows apiece. No
W’est Ender made more than one hit.
Last Saturday afternoon Southern
Pines bowed to West End on the
W’est End field by a 16 to 1 count.
The locaI=( could toucn Coy Thomas
for only two hits and their one run
was unearned. Southern Pines had
only five regulars in their line-up and
none of these happened to be a pitch
er or catcher. Humphries. Park, Pete
Freeman and Webster labored on the
mound, while Myron Barrett, Free
man and Harris divided the backstop
ping duties. Wildness on the part of
the hurlers gave West End their runs.
They made a total of only five hits
but received twelve walks and were
helped by six errors. By agreement,
this game went only seven innings:
Southern Pines racked up its sec
ond straight w'in over Vass last Fri
day afternoon as Millar received
splendid support in holding the invad
ers to eight hits and one earned run
while his team mates were finding
Court Thomas for 15 knocks and six
tallies.
Two runs in the first frame gave
the locals a lead that Vass never ser
iously threatened.
Weatherspoon and Freeman led the
(Please turn to page 4)
Best in Years
in the Sandhills
Growers I'nable to Keep Up
With Demand for Truck
and Rail Shipments
CROP SHORT OF ESTIMATES
The best feeling in several years
prevails among the peach growers
and commission merchants in the
Sandhills, which means that every
body i.' .happy. To paraphrase the old
Maine Kepublican slogan, "as go
peaches, .so goes the SandhilLs in
.'summertime, 'and peaches are go-
ing.
The market has been a sellers' one
all week. The demand has exceeded
the supply. Truck after truck has
gone away empty from orchards
throughout this section because the
growei's have been sold out for the
day. The highways have been almost
a steady stream of trucks; the rail-
I roads have been busy with carload
I shipments, the express companies
I with crate and basket rush orders.
Prices for No. 1 fruit have been
ranging upwards from $1.25 a bush
el, while culls have been in steady
demand at from 75 cents to $1.00.
Even the growers with little No. 1
fruit available bid fair to make money
on culls alone, while those who have
been successful in raising a high
grade crop are going to cash in as
they haven’t done in years.
Many ReaHons for Demand
There are a number of reasons for
the heavy demand. First, there are no
peache^i north of North Carolina. The
severe winter killed the crop in the
north. Second, a large number of
growers in the Candor belt, which haa
come to be the leading center for
I the industry in North Carolina, band-
' ed together this season and put on an
I advertising campaign, both in state
papors and on the radio. This hEia
proved highly successful, bringing
trucks in from all the eastern states,
some from the mid-west. Third, the
Georgia and South Carolina crops
were not as large as estimated early
in the season, just as the North Car
olina crop has fallen short of esti
mates. There just aren’t enough
peaches to satisfy the demand, and
that means good prices foi- what there
are.
And, in addition, prohibition has
gone out since the last crop of
peaches, and that apparently has op
ened up a big market. Many buyers
have been visiting Sandhills orchards
with a demand for truckloads of
“run-of-the-orchard” stuff. They fill
the floor.s of the trucks up with un
crated, unbasketed peaches, just
dumped in “as is,” and haul it off for
manufacture into peach brandy. In
most states brandy is now legal, and
good bottled peach brandy is saleable
stuff. W'ith this market opened up
for any and all kinds of peaches not
a grower in the section Ls expected to
have any fruit left, no matter how
“sorry” looking it may be.
Georgia Belles and Elbertas have
been the No. 1 stuff moving this week,
W'ith the Belles pret*"'’’ well cleaned
up. The Elbertas are expected to be
cleaned up as far as the Sandhills
is concerned by around the middle of
next w'eek. Then come the Hales, but
reports are that there are very few
Hales in this immediate section this
season.
Albert Burker, Pinehurst commis
sion man, estimates that about half
of this year’s crop hereabouts haa
moved by trucks, the other half go
ing to the railroads in carload and ex
press shipments.
BIRTHDAY CLUB HERE SENDS
SlOO TO COUNTY HOSPITAL
The Moore County Hospital Birth
day Club of Southern Pines has hand
ed another check for $100 tu the
Moore County Hospital, making ap^
proximately $500 raised for the hos
pital this year by this organization.
Members of tJie club pledge them
selves to remember the hospital
each birthday.